Bagging machine



Sept 17, 1957 H. c. BUCKENDORF 2,806,488

BAGGING MACHINE Filed sept. 17, 1954 4 sheets-sheet 1 :':IZIIIZIIIII:

ENTQR. Haro/d C. EUC/vendor' r v BY QMMMW Agar/:daan I HTTO/CNEY? Sept 17, l957 H. c. BucKENDoRF 2,806,488

BAGGING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sew.. 1'7. 1954 INVENTOR. HCI/*old C. uckendorf maf/ dm 4 TTORNEYS Sept 17, 1957 H. c. BUCKENDORF 2,806,488

BAGGING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 17, 1954 INVENTOR. Haro/d C. uc/vefvdorf Sept 17, l957 H. c. BucKl-:NDORF 2,806,488

BAGGING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 17, 1954 INVENTOR.

Haro/d C. [Suchende/" EAGGING MCHENE Harold C. Buckendorf, Twin Faiis, idaho Application September 17, 1954, Serial No. 456,836

1t) Claims. (Ci. 141--1 1) This invention relates to an improved machine for bagging potatoes and the like, utilizing paper or mesh bags.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a more efficient, more reliable, and higher speed bagging machine which greatly reduces the amount of labor, time, and injury to potatoes or the like, usual with present bagging machines.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character indicated above which reduces the number and arduousness of manual operations ordinarily required for bagging such as potatoes and transferring the filled bags to a weighing station, through the coordination and automatic operation of various cornponents of the machine.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character indicated above which can be operated at low cost, can be readily equipped to operate with bags of different dimensions and capacities, can be readily constructed to afford different desired numbers of bagging stations, and can be constructed in a rugged and serviceable form at relatively low cost.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration rather than limitation, a specific embodiment of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan View;

Figure 2 is a contracted front elevation, on a somewhat larger scale;

Figure 3 is a right hand end elevation;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section taken on the line 4 4 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary left hand elevation;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2; and,

Figure 7 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 7 7 of Figure 6, showing one of the bag supporting arms.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated bagging machine comprises an elongated frame involving, for each double bagging station, a longitudinally spaced pair of front uprights 10, 10 and a similarly spaced pair of rear uprights 11, 11 which are aligned with each other crosswise of the frame, and a longitudinally elongated loading chute positioned between and fixed to upper end portions of the front and rear uprights 10 and 11. The illustrated machine involves two double stations A and B, respectively, but it will be understood that any desired number of single or double stations are contemplated by the present invention.

The loading chute comprises vertical longitudinal front and rear side plates 12 and 13, respectively, which are secured in suitable manner, to the uprights 1i) and 11. The upper horizontal ight 14 of an endless conveyor belt 15 runs between the side plates 12 and 13 on a level Patent O 2,806,488 Patented Sept. 17, 1957 2 spaced below the upper edges 16 and 17, respectively, of the side plates.

Upper and lower horizontal cross bars 18 and 19, respectively, shown in Figure 3, extend between and are mounted on right hand end portions of the chute side plates 12 and 13 respectively, by front and rear standards 20 and 21, respectively. The upper cross bar 18 is spaced above the side plates 12 and 13, and the lower cross bar 19 is close to the upper side of the upper flight 14 of the conveyor belt 15.

Extending vertically between and secured to the upper and lower cross bars 18 and 19 are the right hand ends 22', 23' and 24 of plate-like guides 22, 23 and 24, respectively, which have straight parallel portions 25, 26 and 27, respectively. The straight guide portions 25, 26 and 27 are equally spaced from each other and from the chute side plates 12 and 13 and extend longitudinally of the conveyor belt 15 and the loading chute. The straight guide portions 25, 26 and 27 are of successively greater lengths and terminate in forwardly curved portions 28, 29 and 30, respectively, which are fixed at their forward ends to the front chute side plate 12. Another platelike guide 31 lacks a straight portion but has a forwardly curved portion 32 which is spaced leftward from the curved portion 27 of the guide 24 and secured at its forward end to the front chute side plate 12. By reason of this arrangement, articles, such as potatoes, placed upon the portion of the top flight 14 of the conveyor belt 15 which is to the right of the right hand ends of the guides, will be carried by the belt 15 toward the left along the channels defined by the guides and the chute side plates 12 and 13 and then conveyed forwardly to the chute front side plate 12.

At the points where the curved portions 28, 29, 30 and 2 of the guides meet the chute front plate 12, the front plate 12 is provided with openings 33 which extend to the right of the ends of these curved portions. Registered with the openings 33 are discharge spouts 34 which are secured to the front chute side plate 12 and extend forwardly therefrom at a declining angle. The spouts 34 include downwardly tapering, semi-circular funnels 35.

Rollers 36, placed at intervals along the belt 15 engage and support the underside of the upper flight 14 of the belt 15, as shown in Figure 4. The rollers 36 terminate at their opposite ends in pintles 37, 37 which are journaled in bearings 38, 38 which are secured to the chute side plates 12 and 13 by angle irons 38' and 39', respectively, which extend the length of the chute.

The right hand end of the conveyor belt 15 is supported around a roller 39 which has front and rear stubshafts 4l) and 41, respectively, journaled in bearings 42 and 43, respectively, which are mounted on brackets 44 and 45, respectively, which are fixed on and project in a right hand direction from the extreme right hand frame uprights 10 and 11, respectively. The forward stubshaft 4) includes a pulley 46 over which is trained an endless belt 47 which is also trained over a pulley 48 which is fixed on a horizontal driving shaft 49.

The driving shaft 49 is supported at its rearward end in a bearing Sti xed on the extreme right hand frame front upright 12, as shown in Figure 3, and the forward part of the driving shaft 49 is journaled in bearings 51 and 52 mounted on brackets 53 and 54, respectively, which project in a right hand direction from the right hand legs or standards 55 and 56 of the frame of a belt conveyor, generally designated 57, which extends along and is forwardly spaced from the front frame uprights 10.

As shown in Figure 5, the left hand end of the belt 15 is supported around a roller 5S having front and rear stubshafts 59 and 60 projecting from its ends and journaled in brackets 61 and 62, respectively, which are mounted on brackets 63 yand 64, respectively, which are ii'xed` to and project inY a Vleft hand direction from the left hand ends of the angle irons 38' and 39'.

On the rear stubshaft 60 is iixed a pulley 65, over which is trained, as shown in Figure 5, a belt 66 which is also trained around a larger pulley 67 whichis fixed on the rear end of a shaft 68. The shaft 68 is journaledin bearings 69 and 70, respectively, mounted on the left hand side of the extreme left hand frame uprightsand 11.

The shaft 68 is turned by a preferablyy electric motor 71 which isV mounted on cross members 72, 73 which are secured toV the extreme left hand frame uprights 10 and 11. The motor 71 has a motor shaft pulley 74 which is connected to the shaft 68- -by a belt 75Y trained over ya pulley 76 on the shaft 68. The shaft 68 has on its forward end apulley 77 which is connected byV a belt 78 to a pulley 79 ona shaft 80 of a transmissionV gear 81 which isV mountedV on the extreme left hand front upright 10 near the upper end thereof.

A horizontal timing shaft 82 extends longitudinally of the machine and is journaled in bearings 83 which are secured to and extend rearwardly from the front frame uprights 10 at a level near to but spaced below the loading chute structure. The left hand end of the shaft 82 is operatively connected with the transmission gear 81 whereby the shaft 82 is driven by the motor 71. Fixed on the shaft 82 at the facing sides of the two right hand frame uprights 10, land at the facing sides of the two left hand frame uprights 10, are sprocket wheels 84.

Extending crosswise of the frame of the machine and lixed to aligned ones of the front and' rear uprights 10 and 11 and reaching forwardly and rearwardly beyond the front and rear uprights 10 and 11, are horizontal beams, which, for clarity, are referred to as the two right hand beams 85 and 86, and the two left hand beams 87 and 88. The beams are all located on a level about the midheight of the uprights. Diagonal braces 89 and 90 reach from the uprights 12 and 13 to and are secured to the related ends of the beams.

Fixed on the facing sides of the right and left hand beams at the front and rear ends of the beams are stub axles 91 and 92, respectively, on which are journaled the hubs 93 of relatively large diameter front and rear sprocket wheels 94 and 95, respectively, the front and rear sprocket wheels being aligned with each other. Sprocket chains 96 are trained over the aligned front and rear sprocket wheels 94 and 95.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the sprocket chains 96 are composed of pairs of laterally spaced links 97, 97

which are pivoted at their ends, as indicate-d at 98, to

carrier links 99. Fixed atone end thereof to carrier links 99 at spaced intervals along the chains 96 are pairs of bag carrying arms 100, 100.

The bag carrying arms, as shown in Figure 7, consist of. rods having free ends 101 and other ends 102 which traverse the carrier links 99, 99 and are xed thereto as indicated at 103 and 1.04, so that the bag carrying arms extend laterally outwardly from the sprocket chains 96 at right angles and in horizontal planes. The bag carrying arms 100, 100 of eachpair thereof are mounted on adjacent carrier links 99, 99 so that the arms 100, 100 are spaced parallel from each other at Ia distance from each other approximating the width of the open mouth of a bag 105 suspended thereon, as indicated in phantom lines in Figure 4.

Each bag carrying arm 100 includes a straight inner end: portion 106, a straight free end portion 107 of `about theV same length as and axially aligned with the inner end portion 106, and a longitudinally curved intermediate portion 108 which is connected at its opposite ends to the portions 106 and 107 by short right angular portions 109 and. 110, respectively. The middle part of the curved portion 108 is axially ialigned with the end portions 106 and 107, and the ends of the curved portion 108 are laterally displaced` with respect to the end portions 106 and 107.

The ends of the curved portion 108, with respect to the 4 centers of thesprocket wheels 94 and 95 over which the chains 96 travel, reach radially outwardly.

Empty bags are applied by a single Worker positioned at the rear of each 'double station, and filled bags are removed by a single worker positioned in front of the same station. The bags are applied to the arms 100, simply passing the material of opposite sides of the bags over the free ends 101 of the pairs of arms. The arm portions 109 and 110 serve to keep the bags from sliding off the arms. Bags are removed from the yarms 100 simply by pulling them off the free ends of the arms 100.

At each of the double stations A and B are located two similar right and left hand stands 111 and 112, respectively, which are located close to the free ends 101 of the bag carrying arms 100 of the related sprocket wheels and forwardly of the related frame front uprights 12. Front and rear bearings 113 and 114, respectively, carry shafts 115 on which are journaled horizontal counterbalance levers 116 which have free and facing ends 117 spaced from each other and carrying counterbalance weights 118, the levers 116 being mounted on the shafts 115 between the bearings 113 and 114 at points intermediate the ends of the levers 116.

Fixed on the other ends of the levers 116 are vertical arms 119 which are positioned along and are spaced from the facing sides of the front uprights 10, 10 of the particular station. As shown in Figure 6 on the facing side of each vertical arm 119 at the upper end thereof and on a level with the upper side of the related one of the sprocket wheels 84 on the shaft 82, is iixed a horizontal tube 120 which is open at its front and rear ends 121 and 122, respectively. Slidably positioned in the tube 120 is an elongated tubular slide 123 which has in its bottom an elongated slot 124.

Forwardly of the forward end 121 of the tube 120 there is lixed on the related end of the slide 123 a vertically extending lug 125 on which is hooked an end p0rtion 126 of a helical contractile spring 127 which has another end portion 128 engaged with a iixed hook 129 projecting upwardly from the tube 120 near its rearward end 122, the spring 127 thereby serving to resist forward movement of the slide 123 and to return the slide rearwardly, to the startingr position shown in Figure 6, from a forwardV operated position.

The slide 123 has a rear end 130 and a horizontal shank 131 on a depending linger 132 traverses the slide 123 near its rear end 130, the finger 132 being positioned above and in Vertical alignment with the related one of the sprocket chains 96. The part of the finger shank 131 extending across the interior of the slide 123 serves as an anchor for one end of a length 133 of sprocket chain whose other end is anchored to an intermediate part of Ithe slide 123 by a pin 134 traversing the slide 123, so that the sprocket chain length 133 is secured within the slide 123 in a stretched condition, and is at times engaged with the teeth of the related sprocket wheel 84, as shown in Figure 6. In the situation shown in Figure 6, the finger 132 is operatively engaged between links 97, 97 of a sprocket chain 96, whereby upon forward rotation of the sprocket wheel 84, in the direction indicated by the arrow, the sprocket chain 96 will be moved forwardly a distance approximating the length of the sprocket chain length 133, corresponding to the distance between two adjacent pairs of bag carrying arms 100, 100 on the sprocket chain 96, and thereby advance a pair of bag carrying arms 100, 100 into charging or loading position beneath the related one of the bag loading spouts 34.' The counterweight 118 keeps the chain length 133 engaged with the teeth of 'the sprocket wheel 84 until the Weight of a partially loaded bag 105 on a pair of carrying arms 100, 100 bearing upon the lever 116 at a point at the opposite side of its pivotal point from the counterweight 118 is suicient to tilt the lever 116 and thereby laterally displace the chain length 133 from engagement with the sprocket wheel 84. As this takes place the spring 127 returns the slide 123 rearwardly to its starting position. When a fully loaded bag is removed by hand from the related arms 100 and from the lever 116, the counterweight 118 returns the lever 116 and vertical arm 119 to starting position, re-engages the chain length 133 with the teeth of rthe sprocket wheel 84, and at the same time engages the finger 132 in links 97, 97 of the sprocket chain 96.

In this way the sprocket chains 96 and their bag carrying arms 100 are continuously and intermittently advanced exactly equal distances as long as the machine is in operation, and speed of operation of the loading conveyor belt 15, and of the sprocket Wheels 84 on the shaft 82, are coordinated, so that bags 105 fed by hand yonto the bag carrying arms from the rear of the machine, become properly and equally filled. The loaded or filled bags 105 are placed by hand on the conveyor 57,

The conveyor 57 comprises standards 135 from which brackets 136 extend in a left hand direction. A roller 137 has pintles 138 journaled in bearings 139 on the brackets 136 and carries the left hand end of the conveyor belt 140, whose right hand end is carried on a roller 141 on the shaft 49 already described herein. As is evident, the belt 140 is driven by the shaft 49 in coordination with the operation of the other components of the machine, so as to travel in a left hand direction at a speed sufficient to carry away loaded bags 105 placed upon the belt 140 at the stations A and B, Without overturning the bags.

It is to be observed that the facing arrangements of the two bag carrying structure at each station enables a single worker to handle two bag loading operations at a time.

A beam 142 extends between the front standards 55 and 135 of the conveyor 57 and carries along the front edge of the conveyor belt 140 a wall 143 which rises thereabove to prevent loaded bags 105 from falling olf the front side of the conveyor 57.

What is claimed is:

l. In a bagging machine, a frame having a left end and a right end and comprising an elongated horizontal chute having transversely spaced front and rear side plates, pairs of front and rear uprights having upper ends supportably fixed to the front and rear side plates, respectively, the front uprights being aligned with the rear uprights crosswise of the frame, rollers mounted on said frame at opposite ends of said chute, an endless loading belt trained over said rollers, said loading belt having an upper iiight disposed between said chute side plates on a level at the lower ends of the side plates, spaced guides spaced transversely of said frame, each of said guides having a left and a right terminal, the left termini of said guides being located inwardly of the frame left end at one of said side plates and spaced longitudinally thereof and the right termini of said guides extending to the right end of said frame, said guides having lower edges closely spaced above the upper fiight of the loading belt, said guides and said chute side plates defining channels along which said loading belt moves articles resting thereon in a direction from the said one end of the chute to said front chute side plate, driving means for moving the top fiight of the loading belt in said direction, said front side plate being provided with openings registered with said channels at the free ends of the curved portions of the guides, bag loading spouts mounted on said frame in article receiving relation to said openings, and bag carrying means mounted on said frame beneath said spouts,

2. In a bagging machine, a frame comprising an elongated horizontal feeding chute bag loading spouts spaced along said chute, and bag carrying means mounted on said frame beneath said spouts, a loading station cornprising a pair of horizontal beams extending crosswise of said frame and pairs of aligned front and rear uprights, the pairs of front and rear uprights having facing sides, said bag carrying means comprising front and rear sprocket wheels positioned at the facing sides of the uprights and mounted on opposite ends of said beams with their axes of rotation extending lengthwise of the frame, the axes of the front sprocket wheels being aligned and the axes of the rear sprocket wheels being aligned, sprocket chains trained around and between front and rear sprocket Wheels, the sprocket wheels and chains having facing sides, bag carrying arms fixed to said chains and projecting from their facing sides beneath loading spouts, a shaft extending lengthwise of the frame and journaled thereon in a level above said sprocket chains, second driving means for rotating said shaft in one direction in coordination with the first mentioned driving means, advancing means acting between said shaft and said sprocket chains for advancing the sprocket chains to position successive bag carrying arms into position beneath the loading spouts.

3. In a bagging machine, a frame comprising an elongated horizontal feeding chute, bag loading spouts spaced along said chute, and bag carrying means mounted on sai frame beneath said spouts, a loading station comprising a pair of horizontal beams extending crosswise of said frame and pairs of aligned front and rear uprights, the pairs of `front and rear uprights having `facing sides, said bag carrying means comprising front and rear sprocket wheels positioned at the facing sides of the uprights and mounted on opposite ends of said beams with their axes of rotation. extending lengthwise of the frame, the axes of the front sprocket Wheels being aligned and the axis of the rear sprocket Wheels being aligned, sprocket chains trained around and between front and rear sprocket wheels, the sprocket Wheels and chains having facing sides, bag carrying arms fixed to said chains and projecting from their facing sides beneath loading spouts, a shaft extending lengthwise of the frame and journaled thereon in a level above said sprocket chains, second driving means for rctating said shaft in one direction in coordination with the first mentioned driving means, advancing means acting hetween said shaft and said sprocket chains for advancing the sprocket chains to position successive bag carrying arms into position beneath the loading spouts, and loaded bag operated means connected to said advancing means for disengaging 'said advancing means from the sprocket chains at the end of an advance of the sprocket chains.

4. In a bagging machine, a frame comprising aligned front and rear uprights, and bag carrying means mounted on said frame ybeneath said frame, a horizontal beam extending crosswise of the frame and fixed to a front upright and a rear upright, said bag `carrying means comprising sprocket wheels -on the opposite ends of said horizontal beam, a sprocket chain trained on and between the sprocket wheels, bag carrying arm means fixed to and `extending laterally from the sprocket chain, a shaft extending lengthwise of and journaled on the frame above the sprocket chain, second driving means coordinated with the first mentioned `driving means 4for rotating said Ishaft in rone direction, advancing means mounted on said frame and acting between said shaft and said sprocket chain `for advancing said sprocket.

5. In a bagging machine, a frame comprising aligned front `and rear uprights, and -bag carrying means mounted on said frame beneath said frame, a horizontal beam extending crosswise of the frame and fixed to a front upright and a rear upright, said bag carrying means comprising sprocket Wheels on the opposite ends of said horizontal beam, a sprocket chain trained on and between the sprocket wheels, .bag carrying arm means fixed to and extending laterally from the sprocket chain, a shaft extending lengthwise of and journaled on the frame above the sprocket chain, second driving means coordinated with the first mentioned driving means for rotating said shaft in one direction, advancing means mounted on said frame and acting between said shaft and said sprocket chain for advancing said sprocket, yand loaded bag4 operatedY means `connected to saidv advancing means for disengaging said advancing means .from the sprocket chain 'at the end of an advance of the sprocket chain.

6. A bagging machine according to claim 4 Vwherein said advancing means comprises a tube, a slide slidably engaged in said tube for endwise movement relative thereto, spring 4means acting betweensaid tube and said slide and yiel-dably holding said slide in a starting position, a finger `on said slide, ann means swingably supporting said tube `for movement -from an inoperative position away from said sprocket chain to an operative position alongside of the sprocket chain in which said iinger is securably engagedwith the sprocket chain, a gear on -said shaft, gear means on said slide engageable with said gear While the tube is in its operative position and said linger is engaged with the sprocket chain whereby the slidel ismoved endwise away from its starting position and the sprocket chain is advanced an amount equalling the length of the `stroke ofthe slide.

7. -A bagging machine according to claim 6 wherein said arm means constitutes :a portion of loaded fbag operated trip means, said trip :means comprising a horizontal lever pivotally supported at a point intermediate its ends, said arm means 'being fixed on and rising from one end of said lever, said lever having a counterweight on one end serving to ytilt said arm and said advancing means into inoperative relation to the sprocket chain, said one end of the lever being located beneath .said `bag carrying arms whereby aloaded bag bearing down upon saidV one end, of theV lever tilts said arm and said advancing means so as to engage said gear means with said gear and engage said nger with the sprocket chain and produce an advance of the sprocket chain.

8. A bagging machine according to claim 4 wherein said bag carrying arm means comprisesA a pair of spaced parallel rods on and -between which avbag is adapted to ybe suspended.

9. A `bagging machine according to Iclaim 4 wherein said `bag carrying arrn means comprises a pair of spaced parallelV rods -on and between which a'bag is adapted to Ibe suspended, eachof said rods comprising a straight end portion fixed to the sprocket chain, a straight Ifree end portion, andy a longitudinally curved intermediate portion 4connected to and extending between said end portions.

10. A 'bagging machine according to claim 4 wherein said machine comprises .a loaded bag conveyor extending lengthwise of and spaced forwardly I:from said kframe, said conveyor including a Ibelt driven from and coordinated Wit-h the mentioned driving means.

References Cited the ileA of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,755,660 Morrow Apr. 22, 1930 1,923,753 Scoeld an Aug. 22, 1933 2,288,159 Ernst June 30, 1942 2,521,998 Rottier Sept. 12, 1950 2,661,132 West Dec. 1, 1953 

